President
Obama has been in office 15 months. To listen to the media driven
political drivel heard in the political fantasy world in which many
citizens apparently live one would think his presidency is already a
failure. This fantasy world is replete with what Steven Colbert labels
as truthiness, a world in which feelings rule unimpeded by rational
thought or reality.
Reality.
It is helpful to recall the situation that existed in January 2009 when
the president was inaugurated. In addition to the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the GDP was declining more than 6%, more that 700,000 jobs
were being lost each month, General Motors and Chrysler were on the
verge of bankruptcy and their failure would have added tens of
thousands to the rolls of the unemployed. We were in the most serious
economic decline since the Great Depression.
Recitation
of these facts is not intended to blame previous administrations but to
establish a conceptual framework on which to judge the performance of
the Obama administration.
Robert P. Watson, Coordinator of American Studies at Lynn University compiled a list of 90 accomplishments of the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress since the inauguration. To cite just a few:
· Instituted enforcement for equal pay for women
· Provided
families of our fallen soldiers funds to cover expenses if they choose
to travel to Dover to witness the return of their loved one. The media
is now permitted to cover the return pending the adherence to
respectful rules and the approval of the family.
· Placed limits on lobbyist’s access to the White House.
· Began modifying military procurement procedures.
· Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children.
· Implemented
significant changes in credit card regulations banning unfair rate
increases, preventing unfair fee traps, and requiring plain language in
plain sight for disclosures.
Politifact.com,
a source for objective political information, compiled and is tracking
a list of 502 campaign promises made by candidate Obama. At the end of
2009 the president had fulfilled 91 of his promises and he received a
partial success grade on another 33. In addition he is making progress
on more that half of his campaign commitments.
Early
in his term the president provided the leadership that led to the
passage of the Recovery Act or $787 million stimulus program to arrest
the economic decline. The program was divided into 3 parts.
One third provided tax relief for 95% of working families and small businesses.
One
third provided emergency relief to help folks bearing the brunt of the
recession. Unemployment benefits were extended and health insurance
premiums for families relying on COBRA were reduced by 65%. Aid was
also provided to state and local governments. Utah has been allocated
$1.6 billion of stimulus funds and the Deseret News reported last
Saturday that the stimulus program brought 25,000 jobs to Utah in the
first quarter of this year.
One
third was allocated for investments to put Americans to work doing the
work that America needs done. Investments focusing on energy programs,
computerizing medical records, medical research, education and
infrastructure were given priority.
It
cannot be denied that the much-maligned stimulus program has been a
factor in our economic recovery. The GDP grew by 5.6% in the fourth
quarter of 2009 a significant reversal of the 6% decline in the last
quarter of 2008. Rather than losing 700,000 jobs a month, we are
creating jobs, not enough yet to reduce the unemployment statistics,
but the direction is clear. The stock market is recovering with the DOW
now above $11,000. We have a ways to go, but he economy is like an
ocean liner not a speedboat and it takes time to change direction but
economic progress is obvious.
Also
important to our long-term fiscal health was the passage of Health Care
Reform last month. We, as a nation, have now established in law a moral
principle that has eluded us for decades. We have taken an important
step toward health reform by extending coverage to 32 million uninsured
Americans. No longer will we accept the deaths of thousands of our
citizens because of the lack of access to adequate health care.
Enactment of this law is the beginning of what will be a decades long
effort to increase the efficiency of health care in our country by
modifying the delivery systems and reducing costs.
Finally,
a few words about our wars and foreign relations. The president is
committed to ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, perhaps not as
quickly as many of us would prefer. Our troop levels in Iraq continue
to decline and we are refocusing our effort in Afghanistan while
supporting Pakistan as its army attacks the terrorists in that nation.
As with the other challenges we face, ending these wars will not be
easy but the president has a plan and the support of our military
establishment.
At
the same time we are making efforts in the international community to
lay the groundwork for a future with fewer military conflicts. The
president recently signed a new START treaty with Russia that will
continue us along the path set out by President Reagan toward a nuclear
free world. The president organized the meeting of 47 nations in
Washington DC that focused on the
problem of terrorist access to nuclear materials. He is reframing the 21st century nuclear threat and mobilizing the international community to confront it.
There
is a warming of our relationships with many of our allies as the
president actively engages in effective personal diplomacy while
supporting his foreign policy establishment. Can we agree that Hillary
Clinton leads a competent State Department team?
So,
positive and significant change is happening. Change that is exciting
for some and threatening to others. Change that is necessary if we are
to continue to be a nation able to influence world events while
advancing our national interests.